Something weird is happening with Xbox. Aside from all the delays, the odd news from the Xbox Game Studios platform, and the apparent lack of killer exclusives on the company’s roster over the past 12 months, we’ve just seen the launch of Redfall – the game that was supposed to be on the Xbox Series X/S and Xbox Series X/S. An ad for Game Pass, but it really ended up being more of a mind-bending exercise in how not to launch first-party exclusives.
A cursory glance at Reddit or Twitter and you’ll see people mocking Redfall in droves. Whether it’s the game’s weird proportions, weird collision detection and low-fidelity interactive elements, or the unresponsive, brain-dead AI, the game is currently getting a lot of criticism from frustrated Xbox players. In key respects, things aren’t much better – the game is 63 on Xbox’s MetaCritic and 59 on PC (it was running so badly it was barely playable until yesterday’s patch).
Our own Jeremy Peel was impressed with what’s on offer in the title, but noted that Redfall lacks all the polish and any killer hooks you’ll find in any other Arkane project. This was supposed to be the Game Pass hit that Xbox was banking on between now and the (eventual) release of Starfield. There is more pressure on the shoulders now. Pity; if the initial reaction to the game is anything to go by, Redfall is a flop – and Arkane’s otherwise spotless record is embarrassing when the stakes couldn’t be higher (pun intended).
So instead, gamers are looking to other Game Pass titles to solve their May problems. One small game, in particular, really captured the imagination of those hungry for something exciting and encouraging on the Game Pass service for PC: cassette beastHailed by many as a Pokemon game for adults who think they’ve grown up and don’t need to catch all the lookalikes anymore, this cute little pixel RPG is a refreshing Air.
The game currently has an “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating on Steam, for what it’s worth – and it’s quickly capturing the attention of players around the world with its captivating take on monster taming and two-player combat. It openly repeats the Pokemon formula, but doesn’t exactly obsess over copying Game Freak’s timeless formula. Type strengths and weaknesses aren’t just damage multipliers in this game, for example: different elements can apply status effects and change the type of target if you play smart.
All the quality of life stuff that Pokemon has experienced in its 20+ year history is present and explained (up to and including permanent field moves once unlocked, so you don’t have to waste your team’s Poor indent “HM slave”). Your Pokems—sorry, Cassette Beasts—can hold up to 8 actions at a time—and some of them even have passive properties. It makes the core gameplay compelling enough to be different from its inspiration, yet familiar enough to make anyone who grew up with monster-collecting daddies feel right at home.
But what is the most impressive? For my 31-year-old self, the game hasn’t been simplified too much. Pokemon games seem to have gotten younger and younger over the past few generations, with Sun and Moon barely letting go of your hand throughout its runtime. Cassette Beasts isn’t afraid to introduce new and sharp mechanics on a whim, and was quick to do away with the training wheels too – it feels like a game that grows with you rather than trying to stay up to date with a new generation of kids. result? Refreshing type that I didn’t realize I wanted so badly.
Indie-style role-playing games on Game Pass have had a blast over the past few months. It’s been a while since I wrote about Chained Echoes – a must-play game for fans of Final Fantasy, Grandia, and Chrono Trigger. As Xbox struggles to bring its own must-play titles to its killer service, unexpected third-party hits like Cartridge Beasts and Vampire Survivor and Echoes of Chains are proving to be the lifeblood of the service, and it’s games that keep me opening my wallet and Pay my subscription monthly.
All eyes are now on the stars. Xbox may have a bunch of games coming out in the near future (Fable, Perfect Dark, Eternal Wilds, Raiders of the Lost Ark, whatever the next Gears game), but in the short term, there’s only Starfield. It needs to set the world ablaze if it wants to salvage Xbox’s credibility in the eyes of the gaming community at large, and in the wake of Redfall’s weakness, that’s no easy feat.
But until then, you’ll find me taking on all the Ranger Captains I can fight in Cassette Beasts. The game is out now on PC Game Pass and is coming to Xbox One, Xbox X/S, Xbox Game Pass and Nintendo Switch on May 25.
